It’s time again for Wednesday Wrap Up, where I invite industry professionals to gather at the Ranch and share their expertise! This month I’m thrilled and tickled pink to have my own boss lady sharing some insider goodies with us. Please show Renee Rocco, President and CEO of Lyrical Press, Inc., some Ranch love as she discusses what Lyrical Press publishes and how you could publish with this AWESOME ebook company!

Renee is also one of the amazing team of artists for their cover art. I can attest that LPI’s covers are intensely beautiful and if you’ve seen my book, Risk Factors, and after taking a gander at these exciting covers she brought, you’ll agree.

Now I want to get down to business and ask some questions to enlighten us all about Lyrical Press. Are you ready, Renee?

Absolutely! *ducks and runs*

You can’t hide. *evil grin* Bwahaha!

How long has Lyrical Press, Inc. had their doors open, and what made you decide to open an epublishing house?

Lyrical was founded in December 2007. It’s official launch came on May 5, 2008. My reasoning behind Lyrical is a little on the complicated side, actually. I knew I wanted ‘more’ from the moment I entered the publishing world back in 2006, I just wasn’t sure where I wanted – or needed – to be in those early days. I pushed myself to learn every aspect of publishing. I did it all, from cover art to editing to marketing. I tried my hand at everything to see where I would fit, because I wasn’t happy where I was as an author. I just felt there weren’t enough opportunities for me as an author, and I felt I wasn’t where I belonged. I’d spoken to tons of my author friends, and sadly, they felt the same. There wasn’t one place where they felt equal or an active part of a team. That didn’t sit well with me, so Frank and I decided to build Lyrical on the foundation of equality and respect for all Lyrical authors – whether they become bestsellers or were no sellers, whether they were a friend of mine or a staff member’s or not. There would be no favoritism, no putting one author above another for any reason. Every author at Lyrical would be treated with the same level of respect and presented with the same opportunities. On the same hand, if a book is selling well, Lyrical is now in the position to use a percentage of those profits to launch marketing campaigns, but when it comes to promotion time and energy, every author and every book is given the same chance to shine throughout dedication to see our author’s rise to a successful publishing career.

That’s a great outlook and I can’t think of a better reason to be a publisher. Thank you and Frank for a wonderful opportunity I’m proud to be a part of!

What are the main genres LPI accepts?

We used to be a general commercial fiction publisher, but I felt – for us – it was like throwing spaghetti at a wall in the hope that something would stick. To me, that wasn’t good business or fair to our authors. All of our expertise was planted firmly in the realm of romance, so we narrowed Lyrical down to a romance and erotic romance only house. It was the best decision we could have ever made for our authors and our staff.

Are there any major changes in the foreseeable future?

I’m always looking to grow the house, so there may always be something exciting lurching around a corner, but I never reveal anything until the ink is dry. We have, however, just opened a new line. You can read all about Entice here. We’re really looking to push this line in the near future, so watch out for these books!

That’s very exciting!

Do you look for any story tropes more than others? Why?

For Lyrical, BDSM and ménage works sell well, so we’re always looking for any trope written within those sub-genres of erotic romance.

Are there story topics or subgenres you, or your editors, would like to see cross your desk?

I’d love to see more modern-day takes on fairytales for our Once Upon line. We’d also welcome higher heat levels and more edgy erotic contemporary romance because, again, those works happen to sell very well for Lyrical.

What’s on the publishing horizon for Lyrical Press, Inc?

We’re looking for books to fit into our Entice line. We also have quite a few Author Takeover events upcoming on our Facebook page. Don’t forget to become a fan so you can play along with our authors when they hijack Lyrical’s page!

I’ve also introduced a fun event – which I’m thinking I may have to do more often given the positive response! – I’m calling Coffee With the Publisher. This is an informal video chat with ten people at a time, where everyone sits down in front of their computer with their favorite conformable tee shirt, a cup of coffee…and grill me for one hour!

That sounds like fun, Renee. How brave and generous of you to open up like that.

What advice do you have for anyone who might be interested in submitting to LPI?

Remember, never submit your rough draft. Also, your query is our first impression of you, so make sure you present yourself and your work in the best possible light. This gives us a positive first impression of you. Keep in mind, all submissions that come to us through Submittable go before our entire editing department – as they always have – so, you have a better chance of an acceptance or revise and resubmit than if your work was being judged by only one person. We love authors who love their readers, so working with someone who understands everything an author does she/he does for their audience is always a huge plus. Above all, love what you do, because that enjoyment shows in your writing!

I know you’ll be checking back over the next few weeks, but is there anything you’d like to add before you go?

Just that I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I never mind being in the hotseat and look forward to connecting with your readers.

We call the ‘hotseat’ being in The Round Pen around here and I’m delighted to have you in this place of honor!

Come on down folks, grab a drink and a plate of Li’l Smokeys and let’s chat!

I can’t express how excited I am to have you visit me on the Ranch all this month, Renee. Thank you for taking a few minutes from your extra busy schedule to be here to talk.